Clean or sterile articles particularly useful for medical applications are packaged to preserve their sterility. The packaging for these articles is intended to provide a barrier to prevent microorganisms from entering inside the packaging to contaminate its contents. In most instances, the packaging is opened immediately prior to using the article, such as with a blister pack housing a syringe or a needle, so as to minimize the time period in which the article is exposed to unsterile conditions.
Traditionally, practitioners that fill and inject syringes can use a one or two-needle technique. In the one-needle technique, the practitioner fills the syringe from a container (e.g. vial) having a liquid contained therein, and uses the same needle for injection. In the two-needle technique, the practitioner fills the syringe with a first needle, but replaces the needle with a new needle prior to injecting.
Both the one-needle technique and the two-needle technique offer certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, the one-needle technique is convenient because the practitioner does not have to change needles between filling and injection, but the needle can become contaminated between filling and injection. The two-needle technique allows for specialized needles that are optimized for filling and injection, but is more cumbersome for the practitioner.
Accordingly, there is a need for alternative packaging systems for providing needles.